A new anniversary post from Starfield developer Bethesda appears to tease the game’s second DLC, and the timing matters because rumours put the expansion in 2026. The short clip embeds a hidden message that many fans read as Terran Armada, which would steer the setting back toward Earth-centric lore.
The anniversary video begins as simple text reading “happy anniversary” against a cosmic backdrop and then throws up yellow-tinged squares that blink in and out, revealing partial letters and shapes. “Thank you to everyone who has explored the Settled Systems with us. We look forward to the adventures yet to come.” The official clip was posted to the game’s social channels as part of the two-year celebration; the social post is available as the Starfield anniversary video on X.
Frames from the clip show “happy anniversary” text with yellow-tinged squares that flicker and reveal letter shapes that, when combined across frames, appear to spell ‘TE__AN ARM_DA’, implying ‘Terran Armada’. No official name exists yet. The pattern is subtle and requires pausing or stepping through frames, which is why speculation took off after fans noticed the repeated letter sequences.
That possible title would link naturally to existing lore: the Terran Preservation Society already exists in the game’s background as a philanthropic-seeming group obsessed with Earth heritage, and a DLC called ‘Terran Armada’ could put Earth or its defenders at the centre of a new narrative. If the expansion does follow that thread, it may also introduce factions or ship-focused content that reorients the campaign toward human politics and heritage.
Shattered Space, the first expansion released in September 2024, received mixed critical and community responses and dipped into ‘mostly negative’ user ratings, so a more focused or lore-driven follow-up would be a clear moment for developer course correction. Fans and critics have been watching Bethesda’s signals closely, and even a small tease like this one has prompted discussion about what systems or story beats might return or change.
A composite of frames from the anniversary clip that appear to reveal the hidden message ‘TE__AN ARM_DA’.
Analysis remains speculative until Bethesda issues a clear announcement. The social clip is the only concrete hint so far and is worth watching for anyone tracking the next expansion.
Celebrating two incredible years in the #Starfield. 🌌
Thank you to everyone who has explored the Settled Systems with us. We look forward to the adventures yet to come. pic.twitter.com/AeWN8DVlO2
— Starfield (@StarfieldGame) September 5, 2025
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